Why Is U.S. Healthcare So Stupid?

monster · 03-15-2018, 09:42 PM

My sprogs have no healthcare as of beest's death. Good News ...his company will pay for COBRA for them for 12 months. Once they get the ppwk to me and I return it. A few weeks. Meanwhile, we have to pay out of pocket (i.e. megabucks because no insurance to limit doc fees etc) if they need anything. But don't panic, COBRA will be backdated and then we will get reimbursed.... **

and then...... COBRA doesn't cover vision, only health and dental. Vision is the cheapest of the three. And my youngest has an eye test scheduled that I rescheduled from when beest was pretty sick (when he was still covered)..

good news. They can switch to my insurance (same options as me only) within 30 days of a "Life Event". Fortunately I have vision, so they can get that.

So, does this mean we have to forgo the free insurance paid by Beest's company and put them all on mine now? No. Because apparently his death is not the "Life Event". Losing their insurance is. So they had a "life event" on the day he died -when they lost their vision insurance- and they will have another on the same date in 2019 when they lose the rest of it.

how fucking fucked up is that?

** also don't panic and set up a GoFundMeWhatever to help us out with this in case we need it because i know you are all awesome and would do that in a heartbeat if you didn't know that we planned for this kind of crap , I can cover this kind of shit, I'm just whining about stupidity

Clodfobble · 03-15-2018, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monster

(i.e. megabucks because no insurance to limit doc fees etc)

I know it's not much in the grand scheme, but be sure to tell any doctors you see in this window that you are paying out-of-pocket. They don't advertise it, but most give self-paying patients a 20-50% discount right off the top because they know they're overbilling insurance (or billing the extra amount necessary to cover the salary of the person who has to deal with insurance filing, however you want to look at it.)

monster · 03-15-2018, 09:48 PM

yes, thanks. Hopefully we won't need to at all. but how stupid is this?

Clodfobble · 03-15-2018, 09:56 PM

Oh, super stupid. So stupid that when I start telling people about the hoops we've jumped through and contradictions we've faced, they think I'm making it up. The most common criticism of my book has been that I was unfairly mean and surely hyperbolic toward the insurance companies--but it only ever comes from folks who haven't had to deal with them.

That's awesome that his company is paying for the year of COBRA, at least. COBRA is usually a joke because you're only being given the "opportunity" to pay for it yourself.

monster · 03-15-2018, 10:21 PM

exactly. that was a nice surprise last week when I went to collect his personal effects from them (before he died because not so good at the people and sympathy thing.... ...plus it was on the way to the airport to pick up Banana Lady which gave me an excuse to do it quickly yada yada yada)

Griff · 03-16-2018, 06:26 AM

Well played.

In America healthcare is for working healthy people.

glatt · 03-16-2018, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griff

Well played.

In America healthcare is for working healthy people.

It's also pretty good for the elderly. Unless you need to be in a nursing home.

monster · 03-16-2018, 08:28 AM

Yeah beest wanted to go away to hospice to die, but insurance didn't cover that. He had to stay at home

03-15-2018, 09:42 PM	#1
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	Why Is U.S. Healthcare So Stupid? My sprogs have no healthcare as of beest's death. Good News ...his company will pay for COBRA for them for 12 months. Once they get the ppwk to me and I return it. A few weeks. Meanwhile, we have to pay out of pocket (i.e. megabucks because no insurance to limit doc fees etc) if they need anything. But don't panic, COBRA will be backdated and then we will get reimbursed.... and then...... COBRA doesn't cover vision, only health and dental. Vision is the cheapest of the three. And my youngest has an eye test scheduled that I rescheduled from when beest was pretty sick (when he was still covered).. good news. They can switch to my insurance (same options as me only) within 30 days of a "Life Event". Fortunately I have vision, so they can get that. So, does this mean we have to forgo the free insurance paid by Beest's company and put them all on mine now? No. Because apparently his death is not the "Life Event". Losing their insurance is. So they had a "life event" on the day he died -when they lost their vision insurance- and they will have another on the same date in 2019 when they lose the rest of it. how fucking fucked up is that? also don't panic and set up a GoFundMeWhatever to help us out with this in case we need it because i know you are all awesome and would do that in a heartbeat if you didn't know that we planned for this kind of crap , I can cover this kind of shit, I'm just whining about stupidity __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

03-15-2018, 09:48 PM	#3
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	yes, thanks. Hopefully we won't need to at all. but how stupid is this? __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

03-15-2018, 09:56 PM	#4
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Oh, super stupid. So stupid that when I start telling people about the hoops we've jumped through and contradictions we've faced, they think I'm making it up. The most common criticism of my book has been that I was unfairly mean and surely hyperbolic toward the insurance companies--but it only ever comes from folks who haven't had to deal with them. That's awesome that his company is paying for the year of COBRA, at least. COBRA is usually a joke because you're only being given the "opportunity" to pay for it yourself. __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

03-15-2018, 10:21 PM	#5
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	exactly. that was a nice surprise last week when I went to collect his personal effects from them (before he died because not so good at the people and sympathy thing.... ...plus it was on the way to the airport to pick up Banana Lady which gave me an excuse to do it quickly yada yada yada) __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

03-16-2018, 06:26 AM	#6
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Well played. In America healthcare is for working healthy people. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

03-16-2018, 08:28 AM	#8
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	Yeah beest wanted to go away to hospice to die, but insurance didn't cover that. He had to stay at home __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode